Lay the Foundation for School Success

To have the best possible start in school, all children need a solid foundation of early language and literacy skills. These are the skills that prepare children to read, write, and use the kind of language they’ll be expected to use in school.

What we know for sure…

Children who start school with higher levels of language and literacy go on to have higher levels of academic success.

Children learn these skills best during language-rich everyday interactions about the things that interest them.

Parents and early childhood educators play a critical role in fostering the kinds of interactions that help children learn.

How Hanen’s Preschool Calendar Can Help

Every year at The Hanen Centre, we put together a calendar full of research-based tips to help you lay the foundations for school success. Parents can use the calendar at home while educators use it in the classroom, and this way children’s learning is extended into every part of the day.

Each month highlights a key language and literacy-building strategy and includes simple tips for how to apply the strategy to everyday routines and activities. The focus is always on creating powerful conversations, since we know this provides the best possible opportunities for children to learn and use language, and to build their early literacy skills.

Support for All Children

It doesn’t matter whether a young child is developing typically or has a delay – all children need support to build the foundations for school success. The tips in this calendar are designed to support all children, including those who are at risk for a language delay, have a delay, or who are second-language learners. Each month features a special section on how the tips can be applied to children with language delays so they can benefit as much as possible from the month’s activities.

Each month is also divided into two parts (“learning to talk” and “talking to learn”) so you can support children at different stages in their language-learning journey.

Calendar Highlights

This edition of the calendar includes:

Monthly themes centering
around a specific skill
Each month focuses on a critical skill children need to learn to be prepared for language and literacy success.

Research
Each month includes a description of what the research says about the importance of promoting particular skills in children who are typically developing, followed by evidence-based strategies for supporting children who are having difficulty developing language.

Tips to support children from 18 months to 5 years old
The 128 tips in this calendar are divided into two categories depending on the child’s language level, so parents and educators can choose the appropriate tip for the child they’re interacting with.

Concrete ideas that can
be applied across contexts
Each month contains eight diverse tips that can be applied in a home or classroom setting to promote children’s learning.

Pricing

Work in a school board or early learning centre?

The Hanen Calendar makes a cost-effective, high-quality addition to any information package you may prepare for caregivers each year. Call us Toll Free at 1-877-Hanen55 or send us an email, and we’ll work within your budget to get this resource into the hands of as many parents and educators as possible.

Live outside of Canada?

If you live in one of the following regions, consider ordering from the authorized Hanen distributor in your area to save on time and shipping costs: